


Again

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Clone!Dick AU [4]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 20:16:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4235169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was shot. He was protecting <i>them</i>.</p>
<p>Maybe he really was Dick Grayson after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Again

**Author's Note:**

> Goes without saying, but clone!Dick survives. They all try to pretend the incident never happened later on. Also, Dick was hiding showing his pain for the others’ sake. And he trusted Bruce enough to do it in front of him.

**_BANG!_ **

The sound echoes through their minds. Their bodies, their souls. Time slows to a near halt, and the only thought they all have is:

_Not again._

Damian moved first. Slipping his way through the bad guys to get to Dick’s – get to the _clone’s_ – side. Put pressure on the wound, even sling a few halfhearted insults.

“You idiot.” He hissed, gritting his teeth to stop the tears in his eyes. “You good for nothing _idiot_. Don’t you dare-” A huff. A shudder as blood slipped through his gloved fingers. “Don’t you dare leave me again.”

Tim was next. Following Damian’s path, and calling Alfred through the communicator. He took his place overtop Damian and Dick, bo staff in hand, staring at their enemies in an almost dare. _Come near them. Just try it._

“Penny-one, I’m sending you our location. Medical assistance is needed, pronto.”

Nightwing let out a gasp, reaching up and blindly clutching at Damian’s arm. “G…go.” He rasped. “G-get outta…I g-got this…”

“Shut up.” Damian shook his head, leaning over to press harder against the bullet hole. “Just _shut up!_ ”

Jason had been in a slight stupor. But Damian’s shriek had shaken him out of it. He and Stephanie moved at the same time. Grabbing the criminals and throwing them down to the ground, with barely-held-back punches and vicious kicks. Jason pulled out his gun, completely willing to finish the job.

“Hood.”

Stephanie’s hand lashed out. Wrapped around his. He glanced at her, but just barely. He knew her reasoning. Now that he had a second to think, he was coming to the same conclusion.

_Not for him. He wouldn’t want it._

“It’ll waste time.” He said out loud instead. “Fucking Batman would probably want to stand here and lecture instead of get him help.”

“Sure.” Stephanie said, releasing his hand. Crouching to tie up the shooters. “We’ll go with that.”

“Speaking of.” Jason whipped around. “He on his way?”

All of their communicators crackled. _“Two blocks away. Ninety seconds.”_

“ _Why_ ,” Damian’s voice cracked, and all of his siblings’ attention was now on him, as he still tried to stifle the blood. Still tried to hold all of Dick’s pieces together. “Why would you _do_ that?!”

And Nightwing had the audacity to try and smile. “Was gonna hit Red Robin if I didn’t. Potentially you too, if it went through him.”

“Stupid.” Damian declared. “You…you’re so _useless!_ ”

Tim stayed on alert, despite the gunmen being down and out. It was easier than focusing on the scene below him. Less painful to just…vaguely ignore it. Jason stayed back. Still watching the scene, digging his nails into his gloves.

The world already took the eldest of their clan away once. If Gotham decided he needed to be taken away again, Jason could swear there would be hell to pay.

Stephanie was the only one who moved. She crouched next to Damian, talking gently. “You’re doing good, D. Just keep pressure on it.” She looked up at Tim, glanced back at Jason. “Anyone got ETA on the help?”

Alfred sizzled to life. _“I’ll have the car there in two minutes. It would be best if you were waiting by the alley mouth.”_

“Gotcha.” Stephanie confirmed.

“I can’t-” Damian sucked in a breath. The kid was losing it, they could all see that. He wasn’t there before. He didn’t see the body of the real Dick Grayson. There was no ‘not again’ to him, not when this was the first time he got to watch his brother die. “I won’t be able to lift him. Brown. Brown, I’m too small, I won’t- and if I move my hands, he’ll bleed out. He…I don’t think I-”

“Damian.” Dick mumbled, trying to squeeze Damian’s trembling arm.

“I’ve got it, Robin.” Batman’s voice suddenly growled as he swooped in over top of them. Tim stepped back and Bruce took his place, lowering on Dick’s other side. He pulled something from his utility belt. Gauze of some sort. Quickly slid his hands under Damian’s, pressing the gauze tightly over the wound. It seemed to be self-adhesive, as when he let go it remained. He quickly threw his arms under Dick’s neck and legs. “Batgirl, you’re in charge of Robin. Red Hood, get them all home.”

And Jason…was happy to be resolved of making any decisions. He nodded silently, then looked up at Tim and jerked his way towards the alley’s exit. Tim slowly made his way around the group on the ground, watching warily as Stephanie took hold of Damian’s shoulders, pulled him up and back, kept him firmly against her side as she spun around. Tim stayed behind them, afraid Damian would try to look back, or worse, _go_ back, but it seemed he was too enthralled with staring at his blood soaked hands.

Bruce didn’t watch them, though. Trusted them enough to get each other back safely. Would deal with the repercussions later. Instead he focused on the weight in his arms, on how gentle he needed to be.

Dick grit his teeth when he was only a few inches off the ground. “Ow.” He hissed. “ _Ow_ , I…it hurts, B. It hurts a _lot_.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Bruce tried. “I just need you to hang in there for me, Nightwing, can you do that?”

Dick inhaled sharply. “I can try.”

“Good.” Bruce didn’t wait anymore. He jumped to a standing position in one swoop, near galloping to the alley mouth. The car pulled up just as he burst onto the road, the roof already open. Bruce climbed in the side, sitting in the passenger seat as the cockpit sealed around him. “Set it for home, Penny-one.”

“Already have, sir.” Alfred’s voice came over the radio. The car instantly roared to life, flying down Gotham’s roads.

With the outside sounds cut off, Dick’s labored breathing was more prevalent. More noticeable.

“Bruce.” He gasped. Even through their masks, he could see Dick squeeze his eyes shut. “It hurts, B. It hurts so _bad_.”

“Shh. You’re alright.” And Bruce didn’t much think about it. He shifted Dick slightly, tightening his grip on his shoulders as he wrapped his other arm across Dick’s chest, cupping his face with his hand. And he couldn’t guarantee it. Couldn’t vow any of this would work out like they all hoped. But he said it anyway. Because this was his child. This has always been his child, always _will be_ his child. Just like the original had been. Just as all the others are now. “I…I’ve got you, Dick. I have you. You’ll be fine.”

“P-promise?” And despite his outward appearance as an adult, he sounded so childlike, so much like _him_ those first few days after Bruce brought him back from the circus. Blood flicked off his lips as he stuttered through that tiny word.

Bruce kissed Dick’s forehead and lied through his teeth. “Promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Clone!Dick stories](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/search/clone%21dick)   
> 


End file.
